Copenhagen, Denmark August 2025
Day One
On arrival at Gatwick Airport South Terminal, we headed to Norwegian Airlines to check in our suitcases. We were allocated a queue skip which allowed us to the front. After we had checked in we went to the special assistance area which is located right before the security gate.
A member of the special assistance staff then escorted us through security into the terminal. Security was very aware and assisted me through the screening process. There were tables where you were able to place your tray of collected items which helped with the flow of traffic through the security gates.
In the terminal, we were escorted to the special assistance desk, however we both felt that we didn't need this service anymore, therefore we headed off for breakfast at Wetherspoons. Afterwards, we made our way back to the gate, which was around a fifteen minutes’ walk.
Once at the gate, boarding for our flight with Norwegian had already commenced, but we were able to skip the queue. This was due to the awareness of the passengers and my needs. There was a stair lift which took us down to the walkway; however, we couldn’t seem to operate it. A staff member came to our aid and got it working; the trick was that you needed to close the doors manually.
Gatwick Airport is fully accessible with lifts, travelators, and disabled toilets. There is also priority seating for disabled passengers throughout the terminal.
On board Norwegian, a cabin crew member explained to me where the oxygen masks and life jackets were. Unfortunately, they were not handed to me to touch/feel like on previous airlines. Norwegian is a ‘no frills’ airline, similar to Easyjet, where all refreshments are at an extra charge.The flight time to Copenhagen was one hour and thirty minutes and was very smooth with minimal delay.
On arrival at Copenhagen Airport Terminal 3, we disembarked the plane via a walkway and were greeted by special assistance. They escorted us to the airport buggies, onto passport check and then dropped us off at a lift for us to head down to baggage claim. Copenhagen Airport is fully accessible with lifts and disabled toilets throughout.
We then headed down, via a lift, to catch the train into the city centre. The platforms were wide and flat, and was very easy to enter the train as there were hardly any gaps between the train platform and rails. The journey was around twenty minutes and was very smooth.
At Copenhagen Central Station, we disembarked the train with ease. It was tricky to locate the lifts due to the lack of signage. These were allocated at the end of the platform, behind the staircase. Not useful at all!
After some grub at the station, we ordered a taxi via the Bolt app, (Denmark has both Bolt and Uber) to take us to the Radisson Hotel.
On arrival at the hotel, the car was able to drop us off right at the front entrance to the hotel. The Radisson Blu Scandinavia Hotel has a huge complex with a very large lobby area. The bar, restaurant and the lounge areas were located on the ground floor. These were all fully accessible with flat entrance through electronic doors and plenty of space to move around.
After we had checked in, we located our room which was on the fourteenth floor. There were five fast lifts accessing all twenty-four floors.
Our room was a standard size with two single beds with adequate lighting. All the usual amenities were provided; a large flat screen TV, desk, kettle with tea and coffee, a safe and air conditioning. However, the AC was not working.
The bathroom consisted of a walk in shower with no step access. Unfortunately, there were no grab rails for support. The only solid part which you were able to hold onto whilst in the shower was the edge of screen door. The basin was spacious with plenty of storage space.
Later on, we ventured down to the hotel lobby bar for one of Denmark’s finest pints of Carlsberg! In the hotel was a casino which we did not use; there goes my chances of being the Radisson Poker Champion!
After a refreshing beverage, we walked out to explore Christianshavn. This is an area of small islands in Copenhagen: we had a pleasant walk along waterways. It is an area famous for international food places. There is also the Copenhagen Opera House which offers various dance and theatre performances.
We headed back to our hotel using a Bolt taxi. We had dinner; they offer traditional Danish dishes and the food was lovely. The restaurant and bar were open plan and fully accessible including good lighting.
After travelling and exploring Christianshavn ,We were tired therefore needed a good nights’ sleep, ready for the next day.
Day Two
After a fairly good night sleep, we were ready to do some sightseeing, but first the important thing, breakfast! We headed to the ground floor where there was a large breakfast area with a buffet: it consisted of cooked breakfast, cereals, fruit and cakes (including Danish pastries of course!)
As the weather forecast predicted it to be a lovely day with crystal clear skies, we headed off to the first attraction on our itinerary: Tivoli Gardens. This was about a thirty minutes’ walk from the hotel which was a fairly flat terrain with wide pavements. Danish people seemed to be very disability aware.
Prior to our trip, I had downloaded the ‘Copenhagen Card’ (from the App ‘Get Your Guide’) which included access to 80+ attractions across the city. The price for this was for £154.00 each. So every time we visited an attraction, we showed the App on our phone to be scanned by the staff.
Tivoli Gardens is a very large park, over eight hectares in size. There were many amusement rides for all ages, including a rollercoaster. (Altogether around thirty rides!) Unfortunately, we felt we were a bit too old to go on the rides! It is however quite a pretty place to visit, with very nice displays of flowers, trees and beautiful water features.
There were lots of places to get refreshments from. There were some arcade machines as well to keep you occupied.
The gardens were mostly flat and easily accessible apart from some areas which accessed some of the cafes, these were a bit tricky to navigate (a few steps for example). We did not notice any disabled toilet facilities. We spent a few hours exploring the lovely gardens. Afterwards, we headed back to Christianhavn to stroll and explore further around the old town.
After we had explored more, we headed back to the hotel, using Bolt as we had walked a lot. We were then ready for dinner and a few drinks, then bed. (The Smoked Halibut was scrumptious!)
Day Three
After a nourishing brekkie, we booked a Bolt to Rosenborg Castle. The castle was built in the 17th century by Christian IV and houses the crown jewels and other Danish treasures. Unfortunately, there was a huge queue to admit the exhibition/ castle, and we felt it would take too much time. So, instead we walked around the castle grounds. Most of the pathways were flat but some areas are cobbled due to the nature of the city, and most consisted of small stones in-which I found difficult to mobilise myself.
After strolling around the grounds for a short while, we decided to move to another attraction. Upon exiting Rosenborg Castle, we noticed the Botanical Gardens situated opposite, just across the road. Therefore we proceeded to check them out. There were toilet facilities located near the entrance/exit, with a disabled portable toilet, accessible via a ramp. The pathways in the attraction also had small stones similar to those at the castle.
We refreshed ourselves with a coffee in the gardens; the weather had been a bit cloudy and chilly so a hot beverage was appreciated! Afterwards, the sun started to creep out, which warmed the cockles of our hearts!
Along the road past the gardens, to our unexpected surprise, we came across the Torvehallerne. This is a market which consists of two large glass halls full of trades. These buildings offer fresh local products such as cheese and cakes to beer and wine tasting. After indulging in a very naughty creamy éclair (I couldn’t find any Danish Pastries!), it was time to check out the Carlsberg Museum which was personally very exciting.
I had emailed the museum prior to the trip, enquiring about accessibility. They informed me that a tour would not be necessary and that you could access it at your own pace. However, they did warn that there were lots of steps, both up and down.
We arrived at the museum by Bolt and headed to the ticket area. The area around the grounds was made up of very large cobblestones, so I had to be very careful. The Copenhagen Card covered admission to this attraction; therefore we used it and entered via a ramp.
Once inside, we were offered a complimentary small glass of Carlsberg. We were then free to explore independently, following the signage. There were lots of steps, up and down, throughout the museum. Only once did we notice a lift, but unfortunately, it didn’t seem to be operational. The stairs had good handrails though. They had toilets situated in the middle of the museum; therefore this enabled a comfort break halfway around.
This attraction housed fun features with interesting gadgets such as making beer with the correct hops and barley. After more than two hours of roaming, we had finished what we aimed to see and headed to the bar for a pint of Carlsberg, which was included in the ticket. Win, win! We headed back to the hotel for a rest before the evening commenced.
We Googled a traditional Danish restaurant to dine in and found Christianshavns Færgecafé to be rather pleasing. This was located about a five minutes Bolt car ride away. Upon arrival at the restaurant, it was accessed via four steps up into the entrance. It was busy with customers; however this created a nice ambiance.
The interior had decent lighting and the menu was written in English too. The restaurant staffs spoke English and were very accommodating to our needs. We had an exquisite three course Danish meal that I would highly recommend.
On leaving the restaurant, I was slightly disappointed not to be helped down the stairs out of the restaurant by a member of their staffs. Instead a customer coming into a booking at the restaurant assisted me down the steps, which indicated that they were disability friendly and had recognised my disability.
We jumped into a Bolt, back to the hotel to hit the sack.
Day Four
After brekkie, we headed to the much anticipated ‘Little Mermaid’ attraction to be utterly disappointed! She is much smaller then thought and situated on the cobbled beach, so not accessible. The ‘Little Mermaid’ is the famous tourist attraction; therefore it had many visitors. However, the mermaid is made of bronze therefore can be photographed from afar.
We left the mermaid attraction and walked about five minutes to the Danish Museum of Resistance. The walkway was mostly smooth and easy to navigate. The Danish Museum of Resistance was included within the Copenhagen card too.
The entrance to the museum was flat. Once inside there was a lift which descended to the lower floors where the exhibitions were set up. There was a café situated on the upper level and a disabled toilet on the lower level.
Audio-guides were available for hearing visitors. I asked if a transcript would be available for me, but it wasn’t. This was a bit disappointing as I was unable to access the audio information.
The main exhibition rooms were dark and gloomy, to reflect the dark sombreness of war. This did give you a sense of the morbid atmosphere of wartimes. I struggled to see some artefacts and the descriptive text was a bit difficult to access. This museum is wheelchair accessible, but there was no thought given to those with sensory impairments.
For the afternoon, we visited Nyhavn. Nyhavn is a vibrant and lively area of Copenhagen which consists of restaurants, cafes, beautiful coloured buildings, and with a canal flowing through the area.
This district of Copenhagen was very busy when I visited, with people strolling back and forth along the walkway.
I also had to dodge some people due to it being so busy and full of tourists. I found it a bit tricky as some of the pavements were cobbled, however, some were flat.
Day Five
This was the last day in the Danish Capital before our evening flight home. After brekkie, the hotel stored our luggage and we headed off to do a last bit of sightseeing.
We got a Bolt to the National Gallery of Denmark. The Copenhagen card was used yet again for entry.
This museum features extensive collections of Danish and international art. The attraction is fully accessible with lifts and disabled toilets. There was also a nice café onsite.
Despite it being accessible, I did get into a bit of a pickle. I was stood too close to a certain painting which prompted a staff member to interrupt my viewing. My dad and I explained that I am blind. I have a symbol cane wherever I go, therefore, it should be obvious. In my defence, if the painting was so important then there should have been a barrier around it to keep visitors at a distance.
After checking some fine art out, (which included Michelangelo), we then went for a coffee and a Danish pastry. Yummy!
The next stop was The Natural History Museum of Denmark which was located on the opposite side of the road to where we were.
This museum wasn’t as accessible as the previous Art Museum. To enter the museum, it was via steps which did have a handrail. There was a lift for wheelchair users in which staff had to operate. Therefore this was not accessible independently. Copenhagen Card was used again here.
It might not be to everyone’s taste as there were lots of taxidermy animals on display. The lighting was generally good and I was able to make out what species most of the animals were.
After exploring the Natural History of Copenhagen, we headed back to Torvehallerne market which was approximately half a mile walk. We stopped for some lunch here as it had previously looked inviting.
After lunch we headed back to the hotel in a Bolt to collect our luggage. We then used Bolt again, (once we had all our belongings with us) to head to the airport for our flight home.
We arrived swiftly at Copenhagen Airport Terminal Two. The terminal had wide automatic sliding doors which made the airport very accessible to enter.
We had to check in at the British Airways desk (BA) due to having luggage to go into the hold. There was a slight delay as there were no staff to check us in and we were standing for around thirty minutes!
When we eventually check in, Special Assistance came to greet us and we were escorted through security. Note to self; always arrange special assistance before you check in.
When boarding was announced they allowed disabled passengers onto the aircraft first. We boarded via a walkway and were seated effortlessly.
After a smooth flight to London, we arrived at Heathrow, Terminal Five, debarked the plane via a walkway where we were greeted by special assistance again. I was offered a wheelchair, but politely declined as it wasn’t too far to walk and it’s good to stretch your legs after a flight, I also like to be independent.
We headed to passport control firstly, then onto baggage claim. Through arrivals, we met with our taxi driver to escort us to the car.
Heathrow Airport Terminal Five is fully accessible, with wide flat walkways, lifts and disabled facilities.